Church pew having cushioned seat



7 Oct. 12, 1965 P. BouNous 3,211,497

CHURCH PEW HAVING CUSHIONED SEAT Filed Dec. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. Ebwm P. Boumous ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1965 E. P. BOUNOUS3,211,497

CHURCH PEW HAVING GUSHIONED SEAT Filed Dec. 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR: Ebwm P. Bou Nous United States Patent 3,211,497 CHURCH PEWHAVING CUSHIONED SEAT Edwin P. Bounous, Morganton, N.C., assignor toDrexel Enterprises, Inc., Drexel, N.C., a corporation of Delaware FiledDec. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 329,515 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-452) This inventionrelates generally to an improved benchtype seat and more particularly toan elongated church pew having an upholstered and cushioned seat.

For many years, it was the custom to make both the back and seatportions of church pews of wood, without any type of cushion. In morerecent times, it has become the custom to add elongated cushions to theseat portions of the pews to give some measure of comfort to the users.The addition of cushions to the top of the wooden seats of church pewsis objectionable because the additional thickness of the cushions givethe church pews a bulky appearance and these separate cushions aredifiicult to maintain in position on the seats of the church pews.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a main object of the present inventionto provide an improved church pew having an upholstered and cushionedseat that is firmly maintained in position and therefore does not sliparound when in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cushionedchurch pew of the type described in which the seat has a thin appearanceand in which the cushioned seat is also easily removable as a unit forpurposes of replacing the upholstery material covering the seat unit.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide an improvedchurch pew of the type described in which the cushioned seat unitincludes an elongated rectangular frame having a centrally disposedopening and a cushion supporting member positioned below the opening,the upper surface of the cushion supporting member and the openingdefining a depression or well for receiving the cushion material, thewell covering a major portion of the seat area, the width of the cushionsupporting member being less than the width of the opening in the frame,and the front and rear edges of the Well having longitudinally extendingopenings between the front and rear edges of the cushion supportingmember and the frame to provide for downward escape of air from thecushioning material when the seat unit is compressed from above, as whenthe seat is occupied.

It is another specific object of the present invention to provided animproved church pew of the type described in which the seating unit isfurther provided with spaced apart support brackets which are suitablysecured to the front and rear edges of the cushion supporting member andto the corresponding portions of the frame to support the cushionsupporting member at spaced intervals longitudinally of the seating unitand to provide for the unobstructed escape of air through thelongitudinal openings extending adjacent the front and rear edges of thecushion supporting member.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view looking at the front of the improvedchurch pew of the present invention; 7

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the end standards of the churchpew and showing the manner in which the end support block is supportedin a slot cut in the end standard;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded isometric view looking down on the frame of thecushion seat unit and showing the 3,2ll,497 Patented Oct. 12, 1965cushion supporting member spaced below its normal position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the back, rear andfront rails connected to the end standard and to the end support blockcarried thereby;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takentransversely of the seat and along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through thefront portion of one end of the seat unit and along the line 6-6 inFIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but being taken through a medialportion of one end of the seat unit and along the line 7-7 in FIGURE 5.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the church pew includes a pair of spacedapart end standards 10 and 11 which are connected together by a backpanel 12 that is suitably secured at opposite ends to the end standards10 and 11. The end standards 10 and 11 have end support blocks 14 and 15preferably secured in suitable slots cut on the inner surfaces thereof.The end support blocks are inclined upwardly from the horizontal andtheir forward ends extend outwardly from the front edges of the endstandards 10 and 11. A rear seat support rail 16 is suitably secured atopposite ends to the end support blocks 14 and 15 and its medial portionis suitably secured to the front lower edge of the back panel 12. Afront seat support rail 18 is suitably connected at opposite ends to theend support blocks 14 and 15 and extends parallel to and in spacedrelationship from the rear rail 16, as best shown in FIGURE 4.

The parts heretofore described make up the church pew frame forsupporting the removable cushioned seat unit which is adapted to restupon and be supported by the end support blocks 14, 15 and therespective rear and front rails 16, 18. The space between the rear andfrontrails 16, 18 is provided to accommodate the downwardly ,dependingcentral portion of the cushioned seat .unit, tobe presently described,and to reduce the otherwise bulky appearance of the cushioned seat ofthe church pew.

The cushioned seat unit includes a rectangular frame, broadly indicatedat 20 in FIGURE 3, which has an elongated central opening. The frame 20includes a pair of end frame members 22 and 23, a front frame member 24which is suitably connected at opposite ends to the corresponding endsof the end frame members 22, 23, and a rear frame member 25 which issuitablyconnected at opposite ends to the corresponding ends of the endframe members 22, 23. 'It will be noted that the front frame member 24is approximately twice as wide as the rear frame member 25, however,both the front and rear frame members 24, 25 are relatively narrow inrelationship to the overall width of the frame 20. Thus, the centralopening defined by the inner edges of the frame members 2225 iselongated and covers the major portion of the frame 20.

A rectangular cushion supporting member in the form of a board 28 issupported beneath the elongated opening in the rectangular frame 20. Inthe present instance, op posite ends of the cushion supporting board 28are connected to the end frame members .22, 23'by screws 30 and 31 whichpenetrate the ends of the board 28, respective spacer strips 32 and 33(FIGURE 3) and are threadably embedded in the end frame members 22, 23.As is best shown in FIGURE 7, the upper surfaceof the board 28 is spacedbelow the lower surface of the rectangular frame 20, for purposes to bepresently described.

The medial portion of the cushion supporting board 28 is supported inspaced relationship below the frame 20 by means of a plurality of spacedapart Z-shaped hanger brackets 35. It will be noted that the hangerbrackets 35 are relatively narrow and have vertically extending centralportions with integral upper and lower horizontal portions that are bentat right angles thereto and extend outwardly in opposite directions fromthe ends of the vertical portion. The upper horizontal portions of thehanger brackets 35 are suitably secured to the upper surfaces of thefront and rear frame members 24, 25, as by screws 36, and the lowerhorizontal portions are suitably secured to the lower surface andadjacent the front and rear edges of the support board 28, as by screws37 (FIGURES 5 and 6).

As best shown in FIGURE 5, the distance from the front to the rear edgeof the cushion supporting board 28 is less than the width of the openingin the rectangular frame 20. Thus, the front edge of the board 28 isspaced inwardly from the rear edge of the front frame member 24 and therear edge of the board 28 is spaced inwardly from the front edge of therear frame member 25, for purposes to be presently described. Theelongated opening in the frame 20 and the cushion supporting board 28supported therebeneath provide a depression or well in the seat unit andlongitudinally extending openings are provided along the front and rearedges of the board 28, for purposes to be presently described.

Suitable cushioning material 40, preferably polyurethane foam, fills thewell in the frame 20 and also overlies the upper surface of the framemembers 20-25 of the frame 20. Any suitable cushioning material may beused and when strips of foamed polyurethane are used, one piece may becut to the correct size to fill the well and the other piece may be cutto the same dimensions as the rectangular frame 20. If desired, thecushioning material may be molded with a depressed lower central portionto fit within the well.

A suitable cover 41 of upholstery material, such as leather, plastic orother material commonly used for upholstering purposes, is provided overthe cushioning material 40 and may be attached to the rectangular frame20 in any suitable manner. It is preferred that the cover 41 be of asubstantially impervious material for ease of cleaning and upkeep. Inthe present instance, the front and rear edges of the cover 41 areattached to the lower surfaces of the front and rear frame members 24,25, as by staples, not shown, and opposite ends of the cover 41 areattached to the lower surfaces of the end frame members 22, 23. Thecompleted seat unit is placed in position with thefront and rear framemembers 24, 25 resting upon the respective front and rear rails 18, 16,as shown in FIGURES, and withthe end frame members 22, 23 restinguponthe support ledges of the end blocks 14, 15, as shown in FIGURES 6 and7.

The cushion seat unit is held in position on the church pew frame byscrews 42 (FIGURE 5) which extend through the front rail 18 and arethreadably embedded in the front frame member 24 and screws 43 whichextend through the rear rail 16 and are threadably embedded in the rearframe member 25. The cushion seat unit may be easily removed by removingthe screws 42 and 43 which are spaced along the respective front andrear rails 18, 16. -It should be necessary to remove the seat unit onlyto replace the cover material 41 or the cushioning material 40.

As is well known, when the cushioning material of a seat iscompressible, as when sat upon, air is forced therefrom. In order thatthe cushioning material may be readily compressed and then quicklyreturned to its noncompressed condition, means must be provided for airto leave and enter the cushioning material. When the cushioning materialis covered by a material which is more or less impervious and does notallow the easy passage of air therethrough, passageways for the passageof air must be provided.

In the present church pew, the cushion seat unit has longitudinallyextending openings adjacent the front and rear edges of the cushionsupport board 28 that form air passageways through which air can easilypass. Al

though an air passageway would be formed because the upper surface ofthe board 28 is spaced below the lower surface of the rectangular frame20, in the present instance the size of these air passageways has beengreatly increased by reducing the width of the board 28 so that itsfront and rear edges are spaced inwardly of the inner edges of the framemembers 24, 25. Thus, the size of the air passageways has been greatlyincreased without further lowering of the board 28. Since the hangersupport brackets 35 are relatively narrow and are widely spaced apart,they do not block the passage of air through the passageways when thecushion is compressed and released. While the compression and release ofthe cushioning material is somewhat similar to the action of a bellows,the air passageways adjacent the front and rear of the board 28 are ofsufficient size that the passage of air therethrough does not create theswishing sound normally associated with a bellows.

In the improved church pew of the present invention, the elongateddepressed well extends more than one-half of the distance from the frontto the rear of the seat unit and provides enough room for a suitablethickness of cushioning material to provide a comfortable seat. Theprovision of the well also prevents the otherwise bulky appearance whichwould be readily apparent if a like thickness of cushioning material waspresent in a separate cushion on the seat of the church pew.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. An improved church pew having a cushioned seat and comprising (a) apair of spaced vertical end standards,

(b) a back panel connected at opposite ends to said end standards andextending in substantially a vertical position to be engaged by the backof a person seated in the church pew,

(c) a rear rail supported at opposite ends by said end standards andbeing supported along its medial portion on said back panel,

(d) a front rail supported at opposite ends by said end standards andspaced from said rear rail,

(e) a rectangular frame supported on said front and rear rails andhaving a centrally disposed rectangular opening of predetermined lengthand width therein, the width of the opening being substantially greaterthan one-half the width of said frame,

(f) an elongated cushion supporting member positioned in spaced relationbelow the rectangular opening in said frame, the width of said cushionsupporting member being less than the width of the opening in said frameand being substantially centrally disposed beneath said opening and thefront and rear edges of said cushion supporting member being spacedinwardly of the opening in the frame, the upper surface of said cushionsupporting member cooperating with the opening in the frame to define awell having elongated air passageways that extend adjacent the front andrear edges of said cushion supporting member,

(g) means interconnecting said cushion supporting member and said frameat spaced apart points longitudinally thereof for maintaining saidcushion supporting member in said spaced position below said frame,

(h) compressible cushioning material filling said well and overlying theupper surface of said frame memher, and

(i) a covering overlying said cushioning material and being connected atperipheral edges to said rectan gular frame, said covering restrictingthe upward;

and comprising (a) a pair of spaced vertical end standards,

(b) a back panel connected at opposite ends to said end standards andextending in substantially a vertical position to be engaged by the backof a person seated in the church pew,

(c) a rear rail supported at opposite ends by said end standards andbeing supported along its medial portion on said back panel,

(d) a front rail supported at opposite ends by said end standards andspaced from said rear rail,

(e) a rectangular frame supported on said front and rear rails andincluding l) a pair of end frame members at opposite ends,

(2) a front frame member connected at opposite ends to the correspondingends of said end frame members, and

(3) a rear frame member connected at opposite ends to the correspondingends of said end frame members, the inner edges of said end, front andrear frame members defining a rectangular opening of predeterminedlength and width in the central portion of said frame, the Width of theopening being substantially greater than one-half the width of saidframe,

(f) an elongated cushion supporting member positioned in spaced relationbelow the rectangular opening in said frame, the width of said cushionsupporting member being less than the width of the opening in saidframe, the front and rear edges of said cushion supporting member beingspaced inwardly equal distances from the corresponding inner edges ofsaid front and rear frame members, the upper surface of said cushionsupporting member cooperating with the opening in the frame to define aWell having elongated air passageways that extend adjacent the front andrear edges of said cushion supporting member,

(g) a plurality of relatively narrow Z-shaped support brackets havingvertically extending portions and integral upper and lower horizontalportions bent at right angles thereto and extending in oppositedirections from the ends of said vertical portion, said Z-shapedbrackets being positioned in spaced relationship along the rear andfront edges of said cushion supporting member, said upper horizontalportions extending over and being secured to the upper surfaces of saidfront and rear frame members, and said lower horizontal portionsextending beneath and being secured to the lower surface along the frontand rear edges of said cushion supporting member for supporting the samein said spaced position below said frame,

(h) compressible cushioning material filling said well and overlying theupper surfaces of said frame members, and

(i) a covering of substantially impervious upholstery material overlyingsaid cushioning material and extending around and beneath the outeredges of said rectangular frame, said covering restricting the upwardflow of air therethrough when said cushioning material is compressed,said air passageways adjacent the front and rear edges of said cushionsupporting member being provided to permit air to readily escape fromand to enter said cushioning material from below when the same iscompressed and released, as occurs when a person sits on the church pewand thereafter arises.

3. In a church pew according to claim 1 wherein said rectangular frame(e) includes (a) a pair of end frame members, and

(b) front and rear frame members connected at opposite ends to thecorresponding ends of said end frame members,

and wherein the front and rear edges of said cushion supporting member(f) are spaced inwardly from the corresponding inner edges of said frontand rear frame members to aid in defining sufficient size airpassageways for air to escape and enter said cushioning material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,775,287 12/56Mantegna 5-351 2,816,601 12/57 Plummer 297-45O 3,049,730 8/62 Wall et al297455 3,065,031 11/62 Henry 5345 3,127,220 3/64 Stine 297-452 FOREIGNPATENTS 491,245 1/38 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. AN IMPROVED CHURCH PEW HAVING A CUSHIONED SEAT AND COMPRISING (A) APAIR OF SPACED VERTICAL END STANDARDS, (B) A BACK PANEL CONNECTED ATOPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID END STANDARDS ND EXTENDING IN SUBSTANTIALLY AVERTICAL POSITION TO BE ENGAGED BY THE BACK OF A PERSON SEATED IN THECHURCH PEW, (C) A REAR RAIL SUPPORTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS BY SAID ENDSTANDARDS AND BEING SUPPORTED ALONG ITS MEDIAL PORTION ON SAID BACKPANEL, (D) A FRONT RAIL SUPPORTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS BY SAID END STANDARDSAND SPACED FROM SAID REAR RAIL, (E) A RECTANGULAR FRAME SUPPORTED ONSAID FRONT AND REAR RAILS AND HAVING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED RECTANGULAROPENING OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND WIDTH THEREIN, THE WIDTH OF THEOPENING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF SAIDFRAME, (F) AN ELONGATED CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBER POSITIONED IN SPACEDREALTION BELOW THE RECTANGULAR OPENING IN SAID FRAME, THE WIDTH OF SAIDCUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBER BEING LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE OPENING INSAID FRAME AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY DISPOSED BENEATH SAIDOPENING AND THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF SAID CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBERBEING SPACED INWARDLY OF THE OPENING IN THE FRAME, THE UPPER SURFACE OFSAID CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBER COOPERATING WITH THE OPENING IN THE FRAMETO DEFINE A WELL HAVING ELONGATED AIR PASSAGEWAYS THAT EXTEND ADJACENTTHE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF SAID CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBER, (G) MEANSINTERCONNECTING SAID CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBER AND SAID FRAME AT SPACEDAPART POINTS LONGITUDINALLY THEREFOR FOR MAINTAINING SAID CUSHIONSUPPORTING MEMBER IN SAID SPACED POSITION BELOW SAID FRAME, (H)COMPRESSIBLE CUSHIONING MATERIAL FILLING SAID WELL AND OVERLYING THEUPPER SURFACE OF SAID FRAME MEMBER, AND (I) A COVERING SAID CUSHIONINGMATERIAL AND BEING CONNECTED AT PERIPHERAL EDGES TO SAID RECTANGULARFRAME, SAID COVERING RESTRICTING THE UPWARD GLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGHWHEN SAID CUSHIONING MATERIAL IS COMPRESSED, SAID AIR PASSAGEWAYSADJACENT THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF SAID CUSHION SUPPORTING MEMBERBEING PROVIDED TO PERMIT AIR TO READILY ESCAPE FROM AND TO ENTER SAIDCUSHIONING MATERIAL FROM BELOW WHEN THE SAME IS COMPRESSED AND RELEASED,AS OCCURS WHEN A PERSON SITS ON THE CHURCH PEW AND THEREAFTER ARISES.